Four prisoners missing after Sri Lankan prison riots

Colombo: Sri Lankan police are hunting for four prisoners who escaped last week during a prison riot in which 27 inmates died, officials said on Wednesday.
One escaped prisoner was captured today and six others were seized earlier, police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said.
Prison Commissioner Gamini Kulathunga said Welikada Prison in Colombo has returned to normal after the shootout last Friday in which 27 inmates were killed and 42 other people were wounded, including prisoners, police commandoes, army troops and a passer-by.

Officials say the clash erupted when prisoners attacked a team of police commandoes that entered the prison to search for smuggled drugs and cellphones.

The prisoners armed themselves by breaking into the armory, they said.

The country`s main opposition party has called the clash a "cold-blooded massacre" of prisoners and demanded a parliamentary investigation.